Feeling stressed this holiday season? Help is available

The holidays can be a challenging time of year between loneliness, loss, financial hardship, family conflict, substance use, and so on. The pandemic adds an extra layer of challenges for Athabasca University (AU) learners.

If you are struggling, please know that help is available, easy to access—and free. AU is committed to delivering a student experience that recognizes the importance of mental health and wellness. As such, we have a dedicated resource page for mental health and wellness.

The Mental Health and Wellness page includes numerous resources for AU learners. Here’s a list of where you can turn for help.

1. Carepath Digital Health

AU partners with Carepath Digital Health to provide learners with a wellness support program that includes counselling, coaching services, and educational information on a variety of topics relating to mental health and wellness.

Your confidentiality is assured, just like any counselling service. This means your tutors, instructors, and faculty will not be informed that you’ve accessed services and your academic standing will not be negatively affected by seeking help.

2. TalkCampus

TalkCampus offers a safe and completely anonymous space for you to connect with other learners. Talk about anything from exam stress, to work-life balance, to mental health, to relationship issues, and everything in-between without fear of judgement. All conversations and feeds are moderated and bullying or hate speech are not tolerated.

3. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world’s leading research centres. As such, it’s a great resource for anyone struggling with mental health. Check out their tips for dealing with COVID-19 and other stressors.

4. Academic resources and supports

Learners can also access a number of academic resources and supports.

New learners and returning learners can prepare for studying at AU by visiting the Am I ready? section of our website. This section covers important information to help learners feel ready for university-level courses and learning online.

Experienced learners who want to improve study skills, time management, and overcome exam anxiety can check out the Learner Success category.

All learners can benefit from the Education and Career Planning section, which includes helpful information about finding the right path for you.

Get more information

Please check our Wellness Support program to find more information about available services and how to access them. Culturally competent services are accessible in many languages.